


Maybe I Like Girls Too

by Violent_Bulldog



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bisexual Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Blood and Injury, But shhhhh that's a secret, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Mike Wheeler Friendship, F/F, Fights, Fist Fights, He also loves Will, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hospitals, Hurt Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Injury, Injury Recovery, It's strongly hinted towards, Literally El is called Jane and has lived with Hopper her whole life, Literally just a school fic of the group, M/M, Major Character Injury, Max's family is shit, Mike is totally Bi but denies it, Minor Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Minor Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Questioning Eleven | Jane Hopper, Troy and James are the bullies from Season 1, no upside down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 11:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19744786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violent_Bulldog/pseuds/Violent_Bulldog
Summary: Max was used to getting into fightsBut maybe this fight was too much for herAnd maybe she shouldn't have been given so many pain killers...





	Maybe I Like Girls Too

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warnings;  
> Homophobic Language  
> Homophobic Assult  
> Hate Crimes

Max was used to getting in fights.

Whether it was with Billy, her step-dad or a random asshole back in California, Max was used to it. They always threw the first punch, of course, Max could never be the one to start it. Except from that one boy in Cali who broke her skateboard, she threw the first punch then. But he had it coming!

She had hoped that Hawkins could be a new start. A place which didn't end in broken noses and bruised knuckles. A place where her stepfamily could be tolerated. A place where she didn't have to lie about who she was.

Of course, that plan went to shit pretty fucking quickly.

Max had been going to Hawkins Middle School for roughly two months. She had been greeted warmly by two boys, Dustin and Lucas. They invited her into their friend group where she was also greeted warmly by a boy called Will. There were two others in the group, Mike and Jane. Mike was beginning to warm up to her but Jane kept the same stone-cold glare whenever Max was present. Max had tried to befriend the other girl but Jane ignored her attempts.

She had been told to watch out for two boys, James and Troy. They had bullied the group until Jane had broke Troy's arm when he threatened Dustin with a knife. They had left them alone since then. But since Max was new and because she was 'different' as the boys put it (they were trying to say it nicely without saying the actual words), there was a chance that they might come after her. Max had rolled her eyes and stated that she could defend herself. That conversation had ended there.

Now, Max was shoved against the brick wall which belonged to the back of the arcade, one boy with a knife pressed to her neck and the other on the lookout for anyone else. Max was nearly unfazed until the knife pressed deeper against her throat, causing a thin cut to form. 

"You think you're so tough, don't you! Just cause you're a dyke!" The boy growled at her, pressing the knife deeper. Max felt a weak trickle of blood drip down her neck.

"You don't belong in this town. You don't belong anywhere! A fucking fag like you should be dead. Go kill yourself dyke before I do it myself" He spat at her before pulling his knife away. Max scoffed at him as she pushed herself from the wall. He looked up from his pocket, a smirk on his face before throwing his fist against her face. Her back hit against the wall again from the impact. He punched her again, using her disorientation to his advantage.

When he went to punch a third time, Max dodged it, making his fist collide with the wall. He howled in pain and pulled his hand to his chest. Max punched him in the stomach and shoved him to the floor. She had forgotten that another boy was there as he charged at her, throwing her to the ground. She wheezed as her back collided with the concrete. Before she could defend herself again, both boys were up and beating her. Kicks to the ribs, punches to her head, weak attempts at wrestler moves which she would have laughed at if she could. 

They finally left her when she was weak and bloody. One last slur was thrown at her, along with a final kick to the head as the boys walked away. Max lay in the silence, the only sound being her wheezy breathes and faint arcade games from inside. Her vision was blurry so she kept her eyes closed. If anyone walked by, they could have assumed that she was dead. Of course, that's just what happened. And with her _favourite_ people too.

"Holy shit, Max!" She heard, somewhere around her. She couldn't tell where exactly, her ears still ringing. She couldn't move or speak to reply.

"Is she... y'know?" She heard another voice, a harsher one yet more feminine.

"I-I don't think so?" The first voice replied. She heard a pattering noise come closer, stopping near her head.

"Max? Can you hear us?" The voice asked. Max whined quietly and weakly, hoping that they heard.

"Okay, she's alive. It's me, Mike. Jane's here too" Mike said, his tone uncomfortably gentle for addressing her.

"I-I'm gonna go get help, Jane's gonna stay with you. I'll be back soon, I promise!" He said, his voice getting further away. Max only whined again in response.

There was silence again. Max could sense that Jane was to her left as the ringing in her ears stopped and her brain began to focus again. Which mainly meant focusing on the pain. She heard a quiet tearing noise, almost like fabric. Then, something was pressed against her neck.

"You're gonna bleed out if I don't do something. Shit, Max" She heard Jane whisper. Max realised that Jane had ripped something, probably her clothes, to try and stop the bleeding from her neck. She could feel Jane's hand lightly against her neck, keeping the fabric in place.

"Troy..." She whimpered, the pain from speaking unbearable. Jane seemed to understand though.

"Troy and James did this to you? Why?" Jane asked, before realising that Max couldn't respond.

"Doesn't matter. We can deal with them later. Shit, Mike. Hurry up" Jane muttered. Almost like magic, Max heard more footsteps pounding towards her.

"Shit kid" She heard a voice, a deeper voice, mutter. She recognised it as Chief Hopper, Jane's dad.

"Max, can you hear me?" He asked. Max replied with a faint whine. She heard Hopper sigh.

"Okay, I'm gonna take you to the hospital. I have to pick you up first, okay?" He asked. Max didn't answer.

"Shit" Hopper whispered before carefully, so, so carefully, picking Max up and taking her to his truck. He lay her down in the back seat before climbing into the front and starting the engine. Mike jumped into the passengers' side and Jane sat in the back with Max, making sure that she stayed alive for the trip.

The trip was short, silent and tense. When they arrived, Hopper carefully lifted Max up and carried her inside, Jane and Mike right behind him. Jane faintly heard Hopper mutter about how light Max was but decided not to say anything. The doctors took her away quickly, telling the trio to stay to for the police report. Hopper laughed humorously at them until they realised who they had said it to. Hopper agreed to ask the duo questions about what they knew.

"We saw two figures run away from behind the arcade so we went to check it out. We found her and I honestly thought that she was dead. I made sure that she wasn't before running to find you" Mike explained. Hopper took notes.

"It was Troy and James" Jane stated. Mike turned to her in surprise.

"How do you know?" Hopper asked, looking up from his notepad.

"Max said one word. Troy. She couldn't say anything else though" Jane answered.

"Troy and James... They're the kids who used to bully your friend group, yeah?" Hopper asked, turning to Mike. He nodded quickly.

"I'll need to ask Max about this if... once she wakes up" He quickly corrected himself before going outside, talking into his radio.

"If she wakes up?" Jane turned to Mike, both exchanging worried looks.

They decided to stay until they knew that Max would be alright, even if it meant spending the night in shitty plastic chairs. Hopper asked one of the reception staff to keep an eye on the duo since he had to go and deal with some other Police Chief business. It was the next morning when the duo was woken, roughly six am, by the member of staff.

"Hey, your friend is stable. She's still unconscious but you can go in and see her if you'd like?" He offered once they were aware of their situation again. They had nearly jumped out of their chairs at the offer. The member of staff, Bobby, lead them to room 438. He closed the door behind the duo.

Jane and Mike both gasped at the sight. The usually fiery redhead looked so small in the white hospital bed. Bandages over her right eye, gauze securely around her throat, tape around her torso to secure broken ribs, a busted lip sowed back together. That was what they could see that the doctors had done. There were bruises covering most of her exposed skin, along with smaller cuts and slices. 

What stuck out the most though, was on the palm of her hands. There were scabbing letters carved into the tender flesh of both hands. One read "Dyke" and the other read "Fag". Jane read over the two words carefully, thinking.

"What... what do they mean?" She asked, glancing at Mike.

"They're, uh... bad ways to speak about a person who likes their gender" After getting a confused look, Mike sighed.

"It's slur for a gay person. It's like, the worst two words" He clarified as they sat to Max's right. Jane still looked confused.

"Then... why is it on her hands?" She asked, gently tracing her finger over the word "Fag" on Max's right hand. 

"Either, Troy and James are just assholes, using the word as an insult or... Max is gay" Mike whispered like it was a secret. Jane gasped quietly, studying Max's almost peaceful expression. 

"But, didn't she date Lucas for, like, a week last month?" She whispered back. Mike shrugged weakly.

"I think there's a term for someone who likes both genders. Uh, Bi? Something like that?" He answered. Jane sighed, her mind processing what she was being told.

The room was silent, both teens lost in their thoughts. The only sound was the frequent beeping from the various machines that were hooked to Max.

The duo stayed with Max for most of the day. The hospital had notified their parents. Neither of the teens wanted to ask about Max's family and why they hadn't shown up. Mike left to grab the two some food, making his way to the canteen as Jane stayed with Max, just in case anything happened. Mike had been away for maybe five minutes when Jane heard a quiet mumbling.

Max slowly opened her eyes (well... eye), looking around, trying to take everything in. She looked over to her right, shocked to see Jane sitting there, staring right at her.

"Max?" Jane's voice was soft, almost like she was unsure if she was hallucinating or not. Max smiled weakly, wincing at the pain that followed it.

"Hey" She mumbled. Jane quickly realised that she was drugged up on pain killers.

"How do you feel?" She asked. Max pondered the question.

"Hmm... I feel? Fine?" She answered, a dumb smirk on her face. 

"Do you remember what happened?"

"The shit-heads that Dusty and Lukie warned me 'bout. Troy and James, I think? They wanted to fight. So we did" Max hummed. Jane sighed quietly, ignoring the nicknames the two boys currently had. If normal Max heard about those names, she would flip.

"Okay... why did they want to fight you?" 

"Cause they don't like me"

"Do you know why?"

"Cause I like girls too"

Mike had been right. Max was "Bi" and Troy and James nearly killed her over it.

"Told me to kill m'self or they'd kill me first" Max muttered, her expression unreadable, even for Jane. Jane's jaw fell open.

"They really said that to you?" She whispered, trying to confirm. Max just hummed in agreement.

"I promise that we won't let that happen. Me, Mike, the other boys, everyone we know. Okay? They won't hurt you again" Jane told her.

"M'kay" Max mumbled softly.

"I think they know who I like too" Jane sighed quietly.

"Who?"

"You. But you hate me so, meh" Max whispered before falling asleep again. Jane's jaw dropped again. Something in the back of her head clicked. She had noticed the way Max would look at her longingly but she always thought that it was because she wanted to be friends.

"Idiot" Jane whispered, kissing the back of Max's hand gently. The true reason she ignored Max was because she was jealous. Max had fitted into their friend group perfectly and caught the attention of two boys before she had even introduced herself properly. Jane had thought that she was beautiful which made her jealous.

Jane sighed deeply when she realised that maybe, just maybe, she liked girls too.

Or, more specifically;

Jane liked Max Mayfield.


End file.
